In 1999, the American motorcycle manufacturer released the V-twin Racing Street Custom (VRSC) machine, also known as the V-Rod. The bike continued production until 2017 and was the first Harley-Davidson street bike that featured overhead camshafts and liquid cooling.
The V-Rod was introduced in 2001 in a single model, designed to compete with other Japanese and American muscle bikes. The V-Rods were also called muscle bikes due to their high power output.
The V-Rod's power generator was a Revolution engine developed by Porsche Engineering with several Harley-Davidson engineers that also worked on the VR1000 V-twin racing bike's engine.
One exciting feature on the V-Road was the fuel tank, which was located under the seat, while in the usual location of the fuel tank was a cover for the air box and coolant filling port.
At the bike's core, a 1,130cc four-stroke V-twin liquid-cooled engine was taking shots, delivering through a five-speed transmission and a final belt drive, 115 hp with a peak force at 8,250 rpm and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) torque at 7,300 rpm to the rear wheel.
On the front end, the 2005 Harley-Davidson V-Rod was fitted with a large 49 mm telescopic fork and a 34 degrees rake angle. It packed dual shock absorbers on the rear with spring preload adjustability, offering 70 mm wheel travel.
As for the braking performance, the bike relied on two 300 mm discs with four-piston calipers on the front wheel and a 300 mm disc with a four-piston caliper on the rear wheel.